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The Voice of the City
will let her。
And now Ravenel smiled。 The lover smiles when be thinks he has won。
The woman who loves ceases to smile with victory。 He ends a battle； she
begins hers。 What a pretty idea to set the four roses in her window for him
to see！ She must have a sweet； poetic soul。 And now to contrive the
meeting。
A whistling and slamming of doors preluded the coming of Sammy
Brown。
Ravenel smiled again。 Even Sammy Brown was shone upon by the far…
flung rays of the renaissance。 Sammy； with his ultra clothes； his horseshoe
pin； his plump face； his trite slang； his uncomprehending admiration of
Ravenel the broker's clerk made an excellent foil to the new； bright
unseen visitor to the poet's sombre apartment。
Sammy went to his old seat by the window； and looked out over the
dusty green foliage in the garden。 Then he looked at his watch； and rose
hastily。
〃By grabs！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Twenty after four！ I can't stay； old man；
I've got a date at 4：30。〃
〃Why did you come； then？〃 asked Ravenel； with sarcastic jocularity；
〃if you had an engagement at that time。 I thought you business men kept
better account of your minutes and seconds than that。〃
Sammy hesitated in the doorway and turned pinker。
〃Fact is； Ravvy；〃 be explained； as to a customer whose margin is
exhausted； 〃I didn't know I had it till I came。 I'll tell you； old man … there's
a dandy girl in that old house next door that I'm dead gone on。 I put it
straight we're engaged。 The old man says 'nit' but that don't go。 He keeps
her pretty close。 I can see Edith's window from yours here。 She gives me a
tip when she's going shopping； and I meet her。 It's 4：30 to…day。 Maybe I
ought to have explained sooner； but I know it's all right with you so
long。〃
〃How do you get your 'tip；' as you call it？〃 asked Ravenel； losing a
little spontaneity from his smile。
〃Roses；〃 said Sammy； briefly。 Four of 'em to… day。 Means four o'clock
at the corner of Broadway and Twenty…third。〃
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〃But the geranium？〃 persisted Ravenel； clutch… ing at the end of flying
Romance's trailing robe。
〃Means half…past 5；〃 shouted Sammy from the hall。 〃See you to…
morrow。〃
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The Voice of the City
THE CITY OF DREADFUL
NIGHT
〃During the recent warmed…over spell；〃 said my friend Carney； driver
of express wagon No。 8；606； 〃a good many opportunities was had of
observing human nature through peekaboo waists。
〃The Park Commissioner and the Commissioner of Polis and the
Forestry Commission gets together and agrees to let the people sleep in the
parks until the Weather Bureau gets the thermometer down again to a
living basis。 So they draws up open…air resolu… tions and has them 0。 K。'd
by the Secretary of Agri… culture； Mr。 Comstock and the Village
Improvement Mosquito Exterminating Society of South Orange； N。 J。
〃When the proclamation was made opening up to the people by special
grant the public parks that be… long to 'em； there was a general exodus into
Central Park by the communities existing along its borders。 In ten minutes
after sundown you'd have thought that there was an undress rehearsal of a
potato famine in Ireland and a Kishineff massacre。 They come by families；
gangs； clambake societies； clans； clubs and tribes from all sides to enjoy a
cool sleep on the grass。 Them that didn't have oil stoves brought along
plenty of blankets； so as not to be upset with the cold and discomforts of
sleeping outdoors。 By building fires of the shade trees and huddling
together in the bridle paths； and burrowing under the grass where the
ground was soft enough； the likes of 5；000 head of people successfully
battled against the night air in Central Park alone。
〃Ye know I live in the elegant furnished apart… ment house called the
Beersheba Flats； over against the elevated portion of the New York Central
Rail… road。
〃When the order come to the flats that all hands must turn out and
sleep in the park； according to the instructions of the consulting committee
of the City Club and the Murphy Draying； Returfing and Sod… ding
Company； there was a look of a couple of fires and an eviction all over the
place。
〃The tenants began to pack up feather beds； rub… ber boots； strings of
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The Voice of the City
garlic； hot…water bags； porta… ble canoes and scuttles of coal to take along
for the sake of comfort。 The sidewalk looked like a Russian camp in
Oyama's line of mareb。 There was waiting and lamenting up and down
stairs from Danny Geog… hegan's flat on the top floor to the apartments of
Missis Goldsteinupski on the first。
〃'For why；〃 says Danny； coming down and raging in his blue yarn
socks to the janitor； 'should I be turned out of me comfortable apartments
to lay in the dirty grass like a rabbit？ 'Tis like Jerome to stir up trouble wid
small matters like this instead of 〃
〃'Whist！' says Officer Reagan on the sidewalk； rapping with his club。
''Tis not Jerome。 'Tis by order of the Polis Commissioner。 Turn out every
one of yez and hike yerselves to the park。'
〃Now； 'twas a peaceful and happy home that all of us had in them
same Beersheba Flats。 The O'Dowds and the Steinowitzes and the
Callahans and the Cohens and the Spizzinellis and the McManuses and the
Spiegelmayers and the Joneses all nations of us； we lived like one big
family together。 And when the hot nights come along we kept a line of
children reaching from the front door to Kelly's on the corner passing
along the cans of beer from one to another without the trouble of running
after it。 And with no more clothing on than is provided for in the statutes；
sitting in all the windies； with a cool growler in every one； and your feet
out in the air； and the Rosenstein girls singing on the fire…escape o